Washing machine appliances generally include a tub for containing wash fluid, e.g., water and detergent, bleach, and/or other fluid additives. A basket is rotatably mounted within the tub and defines a wash chamber for receipt of articles for washing. During operation of such washing machine appliances, wash fluid is directed into the tub and onto articles within the wash chamber of the basket. The basket and/or an agitation element can rotate at various speeds to, e.g., agitate articles within the wash chamber, wring wash fluid from articles within the wash chamber, etc.
Fluid additives may be provided to the wash fluid via a dispenser cup. For example, a user may pour a predetermined amount of detergent, fabric softener, or bleach into the dispenser cup, which may then be provided to the tub, wash basket, or both during operation of the washing machine appliance. However, through continuous use, the dispenser cup may build up an undesirable amount of residue from one or more of the fluid additives. The user may be required to remove the dispenser cup, transport the dispenser cup to, e.g., a kitchen sink, and manually wash the dispenser cup in order to remove the undesired residue.
Moreover, in certain situations, the user may have an article to be washed with one or more stains requiring pretreatment activities before washing in the washing machine appliance. Such pretreatment activities can include, e.g., wetting the article, scrubbing the article, etc. Accordingly, the user may again be required to transport the article to, e.g., a kitchen sink, in order to perform certain pretreatment activities on the article.
In addition, it may be desirable to wash a pet or to fill a bucket with water. However, many times all of the available water source spigots and/or connectors are connected to the washing machine appliance via fluid conduits. Accordingly, in some instances, there is no readily available place to connect a garden hose or other auxiliary feature to the water source spigots and/or connectors.
Accordingly, a washing machine appliance including one or more features that allow a user to rinse out the dispenser cup at the washing machine appliance would be useful. Further, a washing machine appliance including one more features that allow a user to conveniently perform certain pretreatment activities on one or more articles to be washed by the washing machine appliance would be particularly beneficial. Moreover, a washing machine appliance including one or more features that allow a user to conveniently access the water source utilized by the washing machine appliance would be particularly advantageous.